St. Joseph County, Indiana Court Filings Intelligence
Analysis of property-related court filings (foreclosure, probate, divorce, partition, guardianship) in St. Joseph County. See methodology.
Based on public court filings, analyzed by Keystone. As of October 2026.
- 29.1% off-site owners: the share of filings where the owner's mailing address differs from the property address. Could be out-of-state landlords, inherited estates, second homes, or in-transition properties (we don't distinguish; the underlying signal is "not living there").
- Max gross cap rate 9.2% at HUD Fair Market Rent ($15,504/year, 2BR FMR × 12) on the $169,427 median estimated market value. Section-8-eligible rent ceiling; real-market rent typically exceeds FMR; excludes operating costs (taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, management).
- 49.3% of filings are Divorce, the dominant lead category in St. Joseph County during the observed window.
About St. Joseph County
St. Joseph County, colloquially called St. Joe County by residents, is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 272,912, making it the fifth-most populous county in Indiana. Formed in 1830, it was named for the St. Joseph River which flows through it to Lake Michigan. The county seat is South Bend. St. Joseph County is part of the "Michiana" region and the South Bend – Mishawaka metropolitan area.
Source: Wikipedia
At a glance
29% of filings with a known owner mailing address involve owners whose mailing address differs from the property address.
$169,428 median estimated property value across filings with property-value data.
3.6% Indiana unemployment rate (BLS, as of 2026-08). Filings should be read against the local-economy backdrop.
Filing type breakdown
| Filing type | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 49.3% | |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 16.6% | |
| Probate | 13.3% | |
| Guardianship | 4.8% | |
| Other | 16.1% |
Each row is a distinct case as recorded on the county docket.
Geographic concentration by ZIP
The ZIP codes in St. Joseph County with the most property-related court filings, in rank order: where distressed real estate activity clusters.
| Rank | ZIP | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46614 | South Bend |
| 2 | 46544 | MISHAWAKA |
| 3 | 46628 | South Bend |
| 4 | 46530 | GRANGER |
| 5 | 46619 | South Bend |
| 6 | 46545 | Mishawaka |
| 7 | 46561 | OSCEOLA |
| 8 | 46637 | SOUTH BEND |
| 9 | 46615 | SOUTH BEND |
| 10 | 46613 | South Bend |
Based on filings with a parseable property address.
Property value distribution
| Estimated value | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Under $75k | 7.9% | |
| $75k - $150k | 33.6% | |
| $150k - $250k | 34.0% | |
| $250k - $400k | 18.3% | |
| $400k+ | 6.2% |
Source: property records. Median $169,428; mean $207,134.
Building characteristics
Per-property details from third-party property enrichment, aggregated across filings with characteristic data:
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Median living area | 678 sqft |
| Median lot size | 0.27 acres |
| Owner-occupied (at time of enrichment) | 0.0% |
Housing stock + distress signals
Underlying housing stock and distress indicators across all 118329 St. Joseph County housing units, from US Census ACS 5-year data. National reference values shown for context.
| Indicator | St. Joseph County | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancy rate (incl. seasonal + for-sale) | 9.6% | 10.5% |
| Share of owner-occupied units carrying a mortgage | 61.3% | 60.8% |
| Pre-1940 housing stock | 18.2% | 12.3% |
| Single-family detached share of housing stock | 74.3% | 61.2% |
| Residents age 65 or older | 16.5% | 17.3% |
Source: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS 2023 5-year). National reference values are ACS 2022 5-year US totals. Why these matter: vacancy rate is the strongest single proxy for distressed inventory; mortgage-carrying share defines the risk pool exposed to rate environment; pre-1940 stock signals deferred maintenance and renovation opportunity; senior population correlates with probate pipeline depth.
Rent benchmark (HUD Fair Market Rent)
HUD sets Fair Market Rents at the metro area level, so the same FMRs apply to every county within the metro. St. Joseph County sits within the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI. Used to set Section 8 voucher amounts; investors use it as a defensible rent-estimate floor for buy-to-rent underwriting.
| Unit size | Fair market rent / month |
|---|---|
| Efficiency / studio | $898 |
| 1-bedroom | $1,105 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,292 |
| 3-bedroom | $1,567 |
| 4-bedroom | $1,711 |
Source: US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents (None). 40th-percentile gross rent including utilities. Why this matters: Section-8-eligible tenants are a baseline demand floor for rental inventory at these price points; FMR is the official ceiling for voucher-eligible rents.
New construction (market momentum)
Annual building permits filed in St. Joseph County from the US Census Building Permits Survey. Trend signal on whether new housing demand is accelerating or contracting in this market.
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Total housing units permitted (2025) | 611 |
| Year-over-year change (2024 → 2025) | -18.8% |
| Single-family share of permits (2025) | 61.7% |
| Single-family units permitted | 377 |
| Multifamily units permitted (2+ units per building) | 234 |
Source: US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, annual cumulative data. Why this matters: permits trending up signals strong demand for new inventory; permits contracting at the same time foreclosure activity rises indicates broader market softening (deals price differently). Multifamily share shows whether the market is densifying or holding to single-family stock.
Macro context: state home prices and national delinquency
St. Joseph County filings should be read against the broader housing-market backdrop. Indiana state home-price trend and the national mortgage-delinquency rate are the two macro signals most directly relevant to foreclosure exposure.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana home price index (year-over-year) | +4.6% | 2026-04-01 |
| Indiana home price index (cumulative since 2020) | +67.6% | 2026-04-01 |
| National mortgage delinquency rate (30+ day, single-family) | 1.86% | 2026-04-01 |
Sources: Federal Housing Finance Agency state house price indices (FRED series INSTHPI); Federal Reserve Board, Mortgage Delinquency 30+Day Rate on Single-Family Residential Mortgages (FRED series DRSFRMACBS). Updated quarterly. Free public data.
Local-market benchmark
Demographics of the ZIPs where filings cluster, weighted by filing count and benchmarked against Census ACS 2023 5-year:
| Indicator | Filing-weighted average |
|---|---|
| Median household income (where filings cluster) | $66,271 |
| Median home value | $171,639 |
| Owner-occupancy rate | 70.3% |
| Renter share of households | 29.7% |
| Median gross rent | $1,065/mo |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates, weighted by Keystone's filing volume across 10 top ZIPs.
Municipal code violations
Are properties in court filings also flagged for code violations? Some are, and an open violation is a signal of deferred maintenance and potential investor opportunity.
Source: municipal code-enforcement records. Data from the city's open-data portal.
FEMA flood zone exposure
Are distressed properties concentrated in flood-prone areas? By checking each property's coordinates against FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer, we identify which filings fall in Special Flood Hazard Areas (mandatory flood insurance zones). This analysis covers properties with geocoded locations.
| Zone | Share |
|---|---|
| X | 99.0% |
| X-500yr | 0.3% |
| AE | 0.3% |
| A | 0.3% |
Source: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), queried by property coordinates. Zones A/AE/AH/AO/V/VE are Special Flood Hazard Areas (1% annual flood chance, mandatory flood insurance). Zone X is minimal risk.
Lender concentration analysis
Foreclosure activity is spread across many lenders, suggesting diverse distress sources rather than a single institutional wave.
| Rank | Most active lenders / plaintiffs |
|---|---|
| 1 | US BANK NA |
| 2 | FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION |
| 3 | LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING LLC |
| 4 | MIDFIRST BANK |
| 5 | FIFTH THIRD BANK NA |
Lenders in rank order, most active first. Market type reflects how concentrated foreclosure filings are among plaintiffs. Based on foreclosure filings with identified plaintiffs.
ZIP code distress hotspots
Distress is geographically dispersed, with no single ZIP code dominating. The ZIP codes below are ranked by property-related court filings, most active first.
| Rank | ZIP | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46614 | South Bend |
| 2 | 46544 | Mishawaka |
| 3 | 46628 | South Bend |
| 4 | 46530 | Granger |
| 5 | 46619 | South Bend |
| 6 | 46545 | Mishawaka |
| 7 | 46561 | Osceola |
| 8 | 46637 | South Bend |
| 9 | 46615 | South Bend |
| 10 | 46613 | South Bend |
ZIP codes in rank order, most court filings first.
Non-resident owner analysis
29.1% of filings involve non-resident owners. Probate filings show the highest absentee rate (50.0%), suggesting investor-owned properties concentrated in that category.
| Case type | Non-resident % |
|---|---|
| Divorce | 39.4% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 10.3% |
| Probate | 50.0% |
Non-resident = owner's mailing address differs from the property address. Could indicate out-of-state landlords, inherited estates, second homes, or in-transition properties.
Distress composition
Distress diversity score: 1.86 (Shannon entropy across case types; higher = more diverse distress sources). The case-type shares are in the filing type breakdown above.
Motivation breakdown
Among filings with a tagged motivation, the most common is Equity Division Sale (60.8%), followed by High Urgency Pre-Foreclosure (30.9%). This motivation breakdown is captured at the court-filing stage.
| Motivation / sub-type | Share |
|---|---|
| Equity Division Sale | 60.8% |
| High Urgency Pre-Foreclosure | 30.9% |
| Inherited Property | 8.2% |
Based on filings tagged with a motivation sub-type at the court-filing stage.
Property Value Profile
| Value range | Share |
|---|---|
| Under $100K | 18.3% |
| $100K - $250K | 57.6% |
| $250K - $500K | 20.9% |
| $500K - $1M | 2.7% |
| Over $1M | 0.6% |
Value breakdown by case type
| Case type | Median value | Avg value |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | $181,100 | $216,864 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | $155,900 | $178,876 |
| Probate | $159,416 | $190,543 |
| Guardianship | $173,410 | $279,517 |
Based on public property records for properties with court filings. Values are tax-assessed amounts, not market listing prices.
Investment Opportunity Score by ZIP Code
ZIP 46614 (South Bend) ranks first on the composite opportunity score in St. Joseph County. ZIP codes are listed in rank order, highest score first.
| Rank | ZIP Code | Area |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 46614 | South Bend |
| #2 | 46544 | Mishawaka |
| #3 | 46628 | South Bend |
| #4 | 46619 | South Bend |
| #5 | 46530 | Granger |
| #6 | 46545 | Mishawaka |
| #7 | 46637 | South Bend |
| #8 | 46615 | South Bend |
| #9 | 46561 | Osceola |
| #10 | 46613 | South Bend |
The score blends court-filing activity, property value, absentee-owner rate and case-type diversity. Compare ZIPs within the same county or state, not across markets.
Based on court filings by property ZIP code; ZIPs with too little data are excluded. Property values from public property records.
Property Type Distribution
93.6% of distressed properties are classified as Single Family, followed by Duplex/Multi-Family (2.4%).
| Property type | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Single Family | 93.6% | |
| Duplex/Multi-Family | 2.4% | |
| Residential | 2.0% | |
| Agricultural | 1.6% | |
| Commercial | 0.2% | |
| Industrial | 0.1% | |
| Condo/Townhouse | 0.1% |
Property type by case type
| Case type | Dominant property type | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | Single Family | 93.7% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | Single Family | 95.5% |
| Probate | Single Family | 92.2% |
| Guardianship | Single Family | 90.1% |
| Pre-Probate | Single Family | 94.3% |
Property classifications from public property records for filings with a classified property. Categories normalized from public-record property classes.
Property Age & Distress Profile
Among filings with year-built data, the Pre-1960 construction era is most common (34%). Newer properties (2000+) average $313,529, 2.4x the value of Pre-1960 stock ($133,649).
| Construction era | Share | Avg value |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-1960 | 34.4% | $133,649 |
| 1960–1979 | 15.8% | $187,019 |
| 1980–1999 | 21.8% | $227,365 |
| 2000+ | 27.9% | $313,529 |
Value trend: Properties from the 2000+ era average $313,529, which is 2.35x the value of Pre-1960 stock ($133,649).
Top case types by construction era
Construction year sourced from public property records. Value is assessed value from the most recent available tax assessment.
Municipality filing concentration in St. Joseph County
South Bend has the most property-related court filings in St. Joseph County, predominantly Divorce. Filing activity is geographically concentrated in a few municipalities.
| Rank | Municipality | Top case type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Bend | Divorce |
| 2 | Mishawaka | Divorce |
| 3 | Granger | Divorce |
| 4 | Osceola | Divorce |
| 5 | Elkhart | Divorce |
| 6 | New Carlisle | Divorce |
| 7 | Lakeville | Divorce |
| 8 | North Liberty | Divorce |
| 9 | Walkerton | Divorce |
| 10 | Niles | Divorce |
| 11 | Indianapolis | Pre-Foreclosure |
| 12 | Goshen | Divorce |
| 13 | Bremen | Divorce |
| 14 | Plymouth | Divorce |
| 15 | Chicago | Divorce |
Municipalities in rank order, most court filings first, among filings with a municipality on the property record. Municipality names from public property records.
Property Value Distribution
| Price range | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Under $50K | 6.6% | |
| $50K–$100K | 15.0% | |
| $100K–$150K | 23.4% | |
| $150K–$200K | 18.5% | |
| $200K–$300K | 22.1% | |
| $300K–$500K | 10.8% | |
| $500K+ | 3.5% |
Value by case type
| Case type | Median value | Average value |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | $169,781 | $215,233 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | $155,055 | $178,216 |
| Probate | $166,718 | $200,119 |
| Guardianship | $178,522 | $280,299 |
| Pre-Probate | $233,492 | $249,670 |
Assessed property values from public property records for filings with a valuation. Values reflect tax-assessed amounts, not market price.
Ownership Duration Before Filing
| Ownership period | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | 20.6% | |
| 2–5 years | 26.5% | |
| 5–10 years | 19.9% | |
| 10–20 years | 17.7% | |
| 20+ years | 15.3% |
Tenure by case type
| Case type | Median tenure | Average tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 4.7 yr | 8.1 yr |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 6.3 yr | 10.0 yr |
| Probate | 15.7 yr | 17.4 yr |
| Guardianship | 8.1 yr | 12.7 yr |
| Pre-Probate | 20.1 yr | 20.1 yr |
Duration calculated from last recorded property sale to court filing date, for filings with a recorded prior sale. Longer ownership often correlates with higher equity.
Land vs improvement value composition
Land share distribution
| Land share bracket | % of total |
|---|---|
| Under 10% | 25.9% |
| 10–20% | 34.4% |
| 20–30% | 24.8% |
| 30–50% | 11.9% |
| 50–70% | 2.2% |
| Over 70% | 0.8% |
Land share by case type
| Case type | Median land % |
|---|---|
| Divorce | 17.3% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 16.2% |
| Probate | 18.9% |
| Guardianship | 17.4% |
| Pre-Probate | 17.2% |
Analysis of filings with assessed land and improvement value breakdowns.
Methodology and data sources
- Based on public court filings, analyzed by Keystone. As of October 2026. Court records are public information.
- These statistics describe property-related court filings in St. Joseph County. The owner-of-record match and the entity-owner screen are applied to delivered leads, not to these aggregate statistics.
- Property value figures come from property records where available.
- Individual case data, defendant names, and property addresses are not published. Reports show aggregated statistics only.
- The methodology page at /reports/methodology documents data sources, sample sizes, and known limitations in detail.
- This report is current as of October 2026 (generated 2026-10-21).
Top cities for filings within St. Joseph County
Where filings concentrate inside St. Joseph County, by parsed property city or township, in rank order.
| Rank | City / Township |
|---|---|
| 1 | South Bend |
| 2 | Mishawaka |
| 3 | Granger |
| 4 | Osceola |
| 5 | New Carlisle |
Related Indiana guides
Other Indiana counties
This county is not open to new subscribers right now. Browse other Indiana counties.
Want updates when new reports publish? Subscribe to the research RSS feed or follow keystonecourtdata.com.
Cite: Keystone Court Data, "St. Joseph County Indiana Court Filings Intelligence," 2026-10-21, https://keystonecourtdata.com/reports/st-joseph-in-court-filings-intelligence